Women's International Zionist Organization

The Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO) is a Jewish volunteer organization dedicated to social welfare in all sectors of Israeli society, the advancement of women's rights, and Jewish education in Israel and the diaspora. WIZO was founded in 1920 by Chaim Weizmann's wife, Vera Weizmann, and it opened branches across Europe, many of which were closed down in the wake of Nazi occupation and the Holocaust. Branches in Latin America continued to operate during World War II. In 1949, WIZO became a political party in Israel, with WIZO member Rachel Cohen-Kagan being elected to the Knesset. The party left the Knesset in 1951, and it returned to being an advocacy group, running 180 daycare centers in Israel.